338-06

[timz]

Hi guys, I'm an Aussie hunter looking to change my 270 winchester over to a 338-06 for use on camels, donkeys, brumbies and buffalo. Have any of you had any experience with this cartridge? I'm mainly thinking 180-225 grain projectiles, don't need any larger for my 'targets'.

 

[royinidaho]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi guys, I'm an Aussie hunter looking to change my 270 winchester over to a 338-06 for use on camels, donkeys, brumbies and buffalo. Have any of you had any experience with this cartridge? I'm mainly thinking 180-225 grain projectiles, don't need any larger for my 'targets'.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought about the 338-06 myself awhile back but went bigger. I think it would be good for maybe 300 yards (by my way of thinking).

If brumbies are feral horses it should get the job done. If your buffalo are samll say the size of a brumbie the heavier bullet may do the job.

For only slightly more expense you could switch to a 338 Win Mag and never have to worry about whether or not you have enough gun.

My big question is, what in the world do you do with a dead camel??

 

[James Jones]

the 338-06 is a very fine round and way under apperciated , it'll get the lighter bullet running out pretty quick and with a smaller amount of powder than the 338Win mag.
I've shot the 338-06 Ackley Improved and in a 26" barrel it would match most factory 338Win mag loads.
I'd personaly get the AI version and shoot the 200gr Accubonds at everything , its heavy enough to have plenty of thump and penitration yet not to heavy to have a longer range capibilty.

 

[Wild_Bill]

Hi i am building a 338WBX an improved 338-300 RUM for long range shooting for all the above animals except Bufaloo i will shoot them closer with Woodlegh projectiles the others will be 300gr MatchKings. I would improve it like JDJ said and use the Accubonds for all except the Bufalo use the Woodlegh 250grProtected Point with the FMJ's as backup rounds and you will be OK for well placed shots on Buf's. IF you can get some of the 230gr Fail Safes they will also work well for Bufs or the Barnes Tripple Shok's around 200-230gr with the solid copper projectiles will enable good penetration with expansion. I dont like the copper type projectiles except for these type of situations their penetration is welcome in heavy animals where the calibre is marginal. Another good projectile for all the other shooting is the 250ge Sierra MatchKings especialy the Camels as they can be past 300 yards a lot and an efficent projectile that is good in the wild and retains energy well is an advantage.

Good Luck with your project but also consider the 338 Win Mag or one of the short mags necked to 338 as an option aswell but the 338-06 Improved will be OK just make the shots count on the bigger game that can bite back.

Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[timz]

G'day Roy,
Thanks for reply. To answer your question, young camels are good eating, not much different to beef. Generally though we are removing them as pests from Northern territory cattle stations (ranches) where they do a lot of damage (smash watering points up and walk through fences). This years trip to one property that I couldn't go on, my mates shot 87 camels, including one good head shot at 460 yards with a .308 win. I originally was going for a 338WM, but decided to stick with the 30-06 case (as a 338-06) so I can retain my magazine capacity and a more effecient cartridge I guess. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[metricman]

i have a 338-06 imp and like it. however, if you want more thump than the 270 in basically the same case without needing to fireform etc., you might consider the 9.3x62. ammunition is readily available in many bullet styles and weights.

 

[Northman]

Aah.. the 9,3x62, wich is 7 years older then the 375H&H. Shoots 286 grain bullets at 2300fps, and uses a smaller action, and recoiles less then a 375 even with a lighter rifle!

This will be my main hunting rifle when I find the funds to make another rifle..

 

[sniper2]

Tha .338 Gibbs is about all you can get out of an '06 case,friend has one that shoots right up there with the .338 win bag...

 

[lesterak]

I am pretty amazed by the .338/300 Win Mag. I just necked up my .300 Win brass and transfered the 65grs of xmr4350 and loaded a 250gr hornady .338 bullet and the recoil is NOTHING!

I got some superb accuracy with same hornady bullets and 76gr of xmr 4350 (a fairly heavy load, almost fills case), but the recoil is plenty. I figure the .338/300 about duplicates the .333 Dakota and .340 Wby

Now 65 grs of xmr 4350 is just a bit more than a max 30-06 load. I'm thinking that barrel life has to be better with less powder. If a .308/.30-06 can get a 10K round barrel life, with good accuracy for 5k rounds, why not a magnum? After all, its the amount of powder, ain't it, that does the burning?

Anyways, extrapolating from the Barnes manual #3, the .338 has everything in spades over the .30 cals, except maybe the high ballistic coefficients, but the Sierra Matchkings have that covered. Do you need higher BC if you have more velocity and lower pressure?

I know that the only reason the gun/ammo boys don't standardize cases is there is less money in it for them. .338/300RUM is same way. The .338/300Win offers more leeway for seating your bullet way out in the magazine well, which always helps accuracy in my experience.

Anyway, I have a .338RUM and a .30-378; aside from special situations, they are not practical field guns.

I admire the guys who like to tote their crew-served field pieces to the canyons etc, but I have no use for even a 15 lb rifle, much less a 25/30 pounder.

Hell, buy a Leupold M3 scope and don't worry about getting the flattest trajectory. Trajectory doesn't matter if you can dial your scope reliably.

The .338/300Win will really shine with lighter bullets. Seems Barnes even offers 160's. A 160-300gr range in bullet availability is simply superb!

Nice thing about .338/300Win is it is a 15 minute job with a reamer, if you have a .338 Winchester already. If you want a .338-06 you have to buy one or do a custom barrel. Plenty of Nice Lapua, Norma and Nosler brass for .300Win out there, even some old Federal Match, floating around, I guess.

I suspect the WinMag case has more flexibility to offer than the 06 case, but opinions etc.

Best of luck with your gun

 

[sniper2]

Don't be too excited over the 160g Barnes I was never able to reach 3800fps with them out of a 30" tube with signifigant free bore...using .338/300RUM